One of the Boys
by another epiphany
Summary: Annabeth refuses to let Percy keep seeing her as one of the boys. She can change her hair and her makeup, but will it change their relationship? A series of One-Shots in one fic loosely based on Katy Perry song "One of the Boys".


Finally I am giving you readers the closure you deserve. I wrote this piece 2 years ago and finally edited it today after finding myself really wanting to write but so blocked out. My lovely, fantastic readers, hopefully this ending will give you the ending that you wanted/needed for all the stories I never closed. I want to stop making promises that I can't keep so here is a cute little piece that I've held close to my heart for so long and am finally publishing. (I don't own the characters)

* * *

**I saw a spider, I might've screamed**

"Uh Annabeth..." Percy mumbled with wide eyes. "Don't move."  
"What?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips with intended sarcasm. I felt something tickling my scalp and realized what he was talking about.  
"Spider," He whispered.  
"Ahhhhhhhh! Get it off me!" He rolled a piece of paper and unsuccessfully swung at my head.  
"Stay still!" He yelled.  
"Kill it now or I will kill you!" I threatened. He finally swung it off my head and stomped on it as it fell to the floor.  
Did I mention that I have arachnophobia?  
I jumped into his arms fearing that another spider was nearby. When there is one spider, there's usually another somewhere close by. When I realized how awkward it was that I was clinging to him for life, I removed myself from him and pretended to brush nonexistent dust off of me.  
"You weren't kidding when you said you were scared of spiders," He chuckled and I scowled.  
"I'm not scared of spiders." I grumbled, defiantly crossing my arms over my chest.  
"Talk about hubris," he said while shaking his head then walking away.

**But I can spar with you any day, just go ahead and challenge me**

"I'm betting on Percy," Connor said with a smirk.  
"Have you ever seen Annabeth spar? She definitely has him beat," Travis replied smoothly and I smiled. Percy challenged me to a sparring match and the entire camp was anxious to watch.  
"Nu-uh," Connor whined.  
"Uh-huh," Travis retaliated.  
"Nu-uh!"  
"Uh-huh!"  
"Shut up!" I yelled, getting into my fighting stance, shifting my weight from foot to foot. Travis and Connor nodded reluctantly and prepare to watch Percy and I fight, just like the others.  
"Ready to go down?" Percy asked.  
"Is that supposed to be a threat?" I asked earnestly.  
"Maybe," He said with a smile, throwing his sword, Riptide, to my feet. We slashed and stabbed at each other endlessly, trying but failing to take the lead. We were equal opponents and always had difficulty beating each other. Suddenly, I had a plan. An old tree root was protruding from the ground a few yards away from Percy. I decided to back him into it and cause him to trip and fall.  
"Is that all you got?" Percy chuckled, practically reading my mind, slashing at my ankles.  
"N-" I tripped over another tree root that had appeared out of nowhere and fell onto my back. I had to move fast if I still wanted a chance. Before I could budge from the uncomfortable position on my back, Percy was bending over me with his sword inches from my neck.  
"Dead," he shouted as the crowd cheered. Then I did something spontaneous and risky. I grabbed the sides of his arms and flipped his over to where I was on top. I snatched his hilt from his hand and put both weapons above his neck.  
"Nu-uh," I chuckled. "Dead." The bystanders cheered and the astonished look finally faded from his green eyes.  
"Unfair, I propose a rematch!" Connor whined.  
"Nu-uh!" Travis screamed.

**And I chose books over girly things**

"Open up Annabeth!" Percy was banging on my cabin door, failing miserably to persuade me stop what I was doing to let him in.  
"No," I spat, already consumed with my befuddling middle ages architecture novel.  
"Why?" He whined. I could feel him slumping against the door in defiance.  
"Because I said so." I retorted while eloquently flipping the page of my book.  
"Oh I see..." He mumbled. "Too busy doing girly stuff to hang with her best friend." He did not just go there.  
"What girly stuff?" I asked hoarsely. I couldn't recall the last thing I did that would send off a feminine impression.  
"You know."  
"Actually Perseus, I don't know." I rolled my eyes even though I knew he couldn't see them.  
"Just lemme in," he groaned, beginning to pound on the door once more. I finally gave in and unlocked the door for him. "So what are you actually doing?" He asked.  
"Reading." I sighed, trying to block him out of my mind but failing miserably.  
"Boring," he groaned and plopped next to me on my bunk.  
"I'm sure there's a book around here that you'd be interested in," I mused.  
"Not unless one of your siblings owns the Little Mermaid." Then I had an idea.  
"Stay here," I commanded, running off to the bookcase in the back of the cabin. I scanned through the titles until I found something fitting. "Here we go." I handed him the book and watched for his reaction.  
"The History of Aquifers? What in Hades is an aquifer?" He screeched, searching my eyes for answers.  
"Read and you'll find out."

**And I'd take these suckers down 'cause they just get in my way**

"Move," I growled.  
"Make me," Percy replied.  
"Don't make me ask again."  
"Maybe add a please and I'll consider moving." I scowled.  
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" I yelled and tackled him to the ground. "Move away from the diary!" He scowled and grabbed my diary in his hand causing a fiery anger to ignite inside of me.  
"Just one page!" He whined, failing miserably to give me puppy dog eyes.  
"Never," I replied before tickling him under his chin until he dropped the book.  
"Not... fair!" He laughed and I smirked. I grabbed my diary off the floor and shrugged at him with a winning smile. "Oh you're in for it..." He mumbled and my eyes widened as he started tickling my stomach.  
"Get... off... Percy!" I giggled. Since when do I giggle?  
"Not until you hand over the diary." He replied and I scowled.  
"But... it's... pri...vate!" I laughed. For a second his face looked sympathetic, like he would stop and let me leave, but then his expression transformed into something else. He was looking at me with the weirdest expression that I couldn't help but stare back. The tickling stopped and before I knew it... Malcolm walked in.  
"Sorry, am I interrupting anything?" He asked with a chuckle. With that we scrambled away from each other and shouted simultaneously in reply.  
"No!"

**The way you look at me is kinda like a little sister**

I never purposely eavesdropped but Chiron had told to keep an extra eye on Percy today. In some ways, I guess that somewhat gives me permission to listen in on his conversation with Connor.  
"Hey, where's Annabeth?" Percy asked. Today he wouldn't see me because I was too busy being his shadow.  
"How should I know? She's always with you!" Connor yelled. I take that as an offense. I'm not always with him. I'm just with him most of the time.  
"That isn't true," Percy replied.  
"Oh please, some of the camp even thinks that you're in some kind of secret relationship behind our backs!" What in Hades? Just because I wanted to be in a relationship doesn't mean that we actually are in a "secret relationship."  
Just to make it clear, we're not dating.  
"No way, Annabeth is like my little sister. It isn't like that," Percy replied quickly. There go my hopes for ever being in any kind of relationship with him_. Another one bites the dust.  
_"If you say so man," Connor shrugged and left the clearing. Percy sat down on a nearby rock and buried his head in his hands. Maybe this is why I'm looking after him, something is clearly wrong. He sighed and stood up and murmured something inaudible under his breath. Now I was really worried about him.  
"Percy?" I asked, walking into the clearing. He spun around and sighed.  
"Oh, it's just you." A form of a smile flickered on his face for a moment but soon faded.  
"Yeah... it's just me." I murmured under my breath softly. "All I'll ever be."

**You high five your goodbyes and it leaves me nothing but blisters**

"So I guess this is it," I mumbled with a sigh. This would be the last time I would see Percy, unless something happened at camp, for an entire year.  
"Yep," Percy sighed, rocking on his heels. We were both waiting for our parent's cars to pick us up from half-blood hill. Summer was over and everyone was just plain depressed. I spotted my dad's van pulling up and I turned to my other friends.  
"Grover!" I cried with a smile, pulling my best goat friend into a bone crushing hug. I gave quick hugs to Katie, Travis, and a few other campers I'd befriended this summer. Then I approached Percy with a ghost of a smile on my face. I wish I had a photographic memory so I could just capture his image in my mind and keep it there until next summer.  
"Bye Percy." I was about to hug him, raising my arms to reach his new height. But instead, he high-fived one of my hands and suppressed a wave. Part of me was disappointed that he didn't even hug me goodbye, but I just chuckled. I sent a wave to all the campers and started the short walk down the hill.  
"Hey Annabeth?" Percy yelled and I whirled around to hear what he had to say. Everything inside me was hoping for him to give me a more meaningful goodbye or maybe hint that he'd call me later or something.  
"Yeah?" I replied with hopeful eyes. He looked like he was about to say something but the look in his eyes changed.  
"Your... your shoes untied." I looked down to find the shoelaces of one of my shoes untied and I sighed internally. I turned back around and started my trip towards my car, ignoring the shoe, and focusing on swallowing the tears threatening to spill from my grey eyes.  
I looked down at my hands, callused and blistered from training. I decided that meaningless goodbyes from my best friend wouldn't break my heart, just blister it. Overtime the blisters would heal over into calluses, only to blister again next summer.

**So I don't wanna be one of the boys, one of the guys,  
Just give me a chance to prove to you tonight  
That I just wanna be one of the girls  
Pretty with curls and not one of the boys**

I looked in my cabin mirror at my muddy clothes, bruised legs, and frizzy hair. I was the opposite of perfection. Half the time I didn't even look like a girl.  
"Hey Anna," Malcolm's calming voice echoed through the Athena cabin.  
"Hi," I whispered, He noticed what I was doing and approached me.  
"You have the prettiest curly hair," He chuckled, letting my hair fall through his fingers.  
"You seem to be the only one who thinks so."  
"Where's that beautiful confident smile that makes everyone's day?" Malcolm asked with a grin. I smiled slightly. "Let's see some teeth!" He chuckled and I sent him a toothy grin. "That's my girl."  
"So..." I started.  
"Oh I almost forgot. I was coming to get you for a special game of capture the flag." Malcolm grabbed my arm and dragged me out of our cabin.  
"Special?" I asked with my eyebrow raised slightly.  
"You'll see." He smiled and brought me to the clearing.  
"Today we're doing captains and teams, not cabins," Clarisse announced. I pondered the idea for a moment.  
"Any nominees for captains?" She asked warily. Her cabin supported her as a team captain, but it seemed that the others wanted Percy since he was practically our leader. In the end, Percy was the captain of the blue team and Clarisse the red.  
"Ladies first," Percy chuckled, gesturing to Clarisse.  
"Are you challenging my femininity Jackson?" Clarisse asked slyly. "Cause if you are, I'll prove it to you-" She began.  
"No no no! You're a girl, I get it!" He shouted defensively, causing the camp to laugh. "It's just that girls at this camp act more like boys, unless of course you're Aphrodite or Apollo." After he finished, he knew he'd made a mistake.  
"Big mistake Seaweed Brain..." I said challengingly.  
"No. You see, I didn't mean-" He stumbled.  
"Save it Jackson, we got the memo." Clarisse growled.  
"Boys versus girls!" A camper shouted. Before I knew it, the game was over and the girls had destroyed the boys.  
"Good game," Clarisse chuckled, holding her hand out to Percy. He just sighed and shook her hand. After everyone left the clearing I started my trek back to the Athena cabin. Upon almost reaching my cabin I heard a familiar voice around the corner. I peeked around the bushes and saw some Aphrodite girl all over my Seaweed Brain.  
"You're so good at sword fighting," She cooed. As much as I wanted to go beat her to a pulp, I would embarrass myself if I did something rash.  
"Uh thanks..." He mumbled, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.  
"I'm just going to come right out and say it. I like you," She purred causing me to dig my fingernails into my palm. He looked confused for a moment, and then his face changed.  
"Um... I don't know exactly how to say this, but I'm interested in somebody else," Percy stuttered. Both the Aphrodite girl and I were astounded. Who was he interested in? Was it another Aphrodite girl? Did he have a thing for that mortal Rachel Dare? The infinite possibilities were killing me.  
"Whatever." The girl grumbled and walked away. I hopped up from the bush before he could turn around and spot me. He felt my presence behind him and he got a nervous look on his face.  
"You didn't see any of that, did you?" Percy asked. I wasn't going to lie.  
"Oh look, a real girl likes you! How could you turn her down? I mean, she is clearly from the Aphrodite cabin which qualifies her as a girl," I said sarcastically.  
"I didn't mean it like that Annabeth, I'm sorry," he said sincerely.  
"Whatever, just remember that I'm not one of the boys." I sighed and headed back to my cabin with the feeling that he was watching me walk away.

**So over the school year something changed  
I started reading magazines and shaving my legs**

After a long school year, summer had finally arrived. Over the year I decided to take more time getting ready, straightening my hair and wearing makeup. My step-mom let me borrow some of her various fashion magazines to create a prettier look. Though I hardly recognized the girl I saw in the mirror, I was glad to finally feel feminine for a change.  
I descended half-blood hill with a smile, pulling my luggage along with me. A few unfamiliar campers sent me curious lingering glances, confirming that this new look was clearly working. I put away my stuff in the Athena cabin and headed over to the Aphrodite cabin.  
"Silena?" I yelled anxiously through the door. She swung the door open a few moments later and looked me over.  
"New camper?" She asked. I chuckled and she did a double take. "Annabeth?" I nodded vigorously and pulled her into a hug.  
"You look amazing!" She commented and I grinned. "Except for one thing..." My face fell. "You seriously need a shave," I cracked up instantly. Obtaining the look was one thing, but keeping it perfect was another. Shaving my legs every week wasn't something I could always remember to do.  
"I know," I giggled. "It gets tedious." She rolled her eyes and pulled out a razor.  
"I'd be glad to help. I'm sure nobody we care about will be here for another thirty minutes or so." I groaned but obediently sat on the floor and extended my legs.  
"Just make quick."  
Ten minutes later my legs were smooth as silk without any cuts or scratches. Being a daughter of Aphrodite does have its perks.  
"Thanks Silena, I actually do appreciate it," I said with an honest smile. I heard conch signaling dinner sound outside the cabin.  
"No problem just let me take you to the pavilion." She led me to the arched entrance and smirked when she noticed all eyes were on her. When I realized they were also staring at me I felt self-conscious, like I'd done something wrong. I heard the campers start to whisper among themselves.  
"They think you're new." Silena whispered in my ear and I chuckled, touching the beaded necklace under my shirt. I decided not to let it show just yet and to maybe play along and have fun with this.

**I studied the ways of Aphrodite and I walked right into camp and caught you staring at me**

I grabbed Silena's hand and led her off towards the food line, grabbing an apple.  
"That's all you want?" She asked with a frown.  
"I'm not very hungry," I lied. I just wanted to keep my decent figure intact.  
"Well, good luck with the siblings," Silena whispered, gesturing towards my table. I nodded and headed off towards the Athena table, sitting myself next to my brother Malcolm. From far away I studied the way she walked, so confidently and gracefully. Maybe I would try it myself later on.  
"Hey Annabeth!" Nobody could ever fool him. My other siblings stared at me in disbelief.  
"Hello Malcolm." I patted his head teasingly and took another bite from my apple. My brothers and sisters sent me compliments, but they hardly mattered considering I was only focusing on the dark haired boy a few tables away. He was staring at the door anxiously, expectantly. I almost hoped that he was waiting for me.  
Overtime the pavilion became less crowded. Malcolm and I were engaged in a deep conversation about schoolwork and classes, something only we could find interesting. Before I knew it curfew was only ten minutes away, Malcolm was gone and I hadn't even unpacked yet. I headed towards the exit only to notice Percy, still sitting at his table, staring at me. His eyes averted to the floor when he realized that I'd caught him.  
He grabbed his drink and sipped nonchalantly, obviously hoping that I would just leave. I approached him with a straight expression, surprised when he met me halfway, drink in one hand and other extended towards me.  
"Hi-" He started and I couldn't stop myself from bursting into laughter.  
"You are such a Seaweed Brain!" I chuckled, playfully swatting his extended hand. He instantly paled and adorably tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy.  
"Wise Girl?" He asked as his goblet slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground. "Er-um... uh-um" Percy turned pink and picked the empty goblet off the floor. I confidently gathered him into a quick hug, enjoying the lingering scent of saltwater on his hair for a second longer than necessary.  
"You're cute when your embarrassed," I joked, shoving him playfully before walking back to my cabin. This time I walked back confidently, visualizing the forlorn expression that had appeared on his face as he watched me disappear into the darkness.

**'Cause I know what you know  
But now you're gonna have to take a number  
**

"Knees," Percy mumbled.  
"Knees?" I asked.  
"Knees, one of the easiest spots to help you win a duel."  
"How so?" I asked curiously.  
"Ankles are fine too, but knees cause your opponent to bend over and create better access to weak spots in the back and stomach. It's a fact of life." He chuckled while drawing in the dirt with a stick.  
"Care to test your hypothesis?" I asked  
"Hypotha-what?" He asked with his classic cute confused expression.  
"Never mind, just-" She started, but was interrupted.  
"Hey Annabeth!" The new Hephaestus boy, Hayden, shouted. He ran towards me with a grin. "What's up?" He asked. Since I arrived at camp this summer, boys had paid extra attention to my new look. At first I thought the idea was degrading, but I actually began enjoyed the constant attention.  
"Nothing actually," I commented, twirling a piece of her hair around my finger.  
"Look-" Percy started, but wasn't heard over Hayden.  
"Well, we can go train together if you want. I need a sparring partner and I bet training with the best fighter in camp would help me out." Percy glared at him with the urge to tell him how Annabeth had basically already asked to train with him.  
"I'd love to. Let's go suit up," I replied with a grin. Deep inside, I preferred training with Percy. But who said I couldn't try something new for a change? It was obvious that whatever I had going on with Percy wasn't going anywhere, so why not give Hayden a fair shot?  
Percy looked towards me with a hurt expression on his face. I approached him and sighed.  
"We can try that knees thing another time okay? I'll see you at dinner." I waved him off and headed off towards the armor shed. Percy sighed and wondered how much more pain he would have to suffer before he was happy.

**It's okay, maybe one day…  
But not until you ask to be with me**

"Hey Annabeth?" I whipped my head around and found Percy standing behind me.  
"Yeah?" I asked while putting on my tennis shoes. Hayden invited me to train with him this afternoon and I was about to leave my cabin to meet him.  
"Um..." Percy played with his fingers nervously. He had the weirdest expression on his face.  
"What's wrong?" I asked him, genuinely concerned about whatever was bothering him.  
"Nothing is wrong, I just was wondering if-" He stuttered, but was interrupted. "Annabeth!" I heard Hayden call through the door and I groaned under my breath. Since I agreed to train with him every few days he's been following me everywhere. Even if I was spending more time with Hayden and less with Percy, this whole "forgetting about Percy Jackson" thing still wasn't working very well.  
"Not now," Percy muttered, obviously as fed up with the Hephaestus boy as I was.  
"I was just on my way out Hayden," I replied, rolling my eyes. He appeared through the cabin door with a grin.  
"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the fireworks display with me tonight," he said. I just stood there, completely shell-shocked. I couldn't believe that he had the guts to actually ask me instead of just starting awkward conversations with me like fish boy over there. "So what do you say?" Hayden grinned.  
I peeked at Percy for help. His expression was unreadable. I begged for help with my eyes, but didn't seem to receive any type of reply.  
"Um, sure?" Before I knew it, I had accepted his offer. The worst part was, I hadn't even meant to.  
"Great, I'll meet you at your cabin at seven!" Hayden waved goodbye and exited my cabin. I plopped down on my bunk and sighed.  
"I'm so in for it," I groaned into my pillow.  
"You don't want to go with him?" Percy asked, obviously confused.  
"Of course not!" I cried.  
"Then don't," he said nonchalantly.  
"Huh?"  
"Tell him you don't feel well." Percy shrugged.  
"Are you going?"  
"Probably not. Maybe I'll go alone, just to see the fireworks."  
"Sounds fun." I chuckled. "So what were you saying earlier?" I asked upon realization that he never finished asking what he'd come to ask in the first place.  
"Nothing," he replied. "Nothing that matters."

**'Cause I don't wanna be one of the boys, one of the guys**  
**Just give me a chance to prove to you tonight**  
**That I just wanna be your Aphrodite**  
**The girl of your dreams, not one of the boys.**

I raced to the Poseidon cabin with unshed tears in my eyes. The fireworks were still popping in the air, spreading vibrant sparks about the sky. I quickly ripped open the cabin door and closed it behind me. The next thing I knew I was collapsed on the floor sobbing. That's what I get for trusting a jerk.  
"Annabeth? When did you get in here?" That stupid son of Poseidon- ditching the fireworks display to go to sleep, I thought. "Holy Zeus. What happened?" I saw him jump out of his bed and to my side. I was so upset that I didn't both ogling at his shirtless body- which is saying a lot.  
"I shouldn't have gone. I should have just stayed here, with you," I choked through streaming tears.  
"What happened?" He whispered softly. When he saw my face I was sure he knew. "Did Hayden...?" I nodded.  
"I don't want to do that kind of stuff with him yet." Of course that was enough for Percy. He would have left the cabin in his pajamas to beat up that jerk if I hadn't stopped him. "Don't do anything, please."  
"Why should I just-"  
"It's my fight, Percy. I'll take care of it tomorrow. Right now I just need my best friend," I admitted, sniffling and wiping off a few tears. Percy slid down next to me and wrapped his arms around me. For once, I felt safe.  
"He's here." I smiled and let one last tear fall. "Don't cry."  
"It's happy crying. You're still here. After everything I've done to change, you still stand by me like I'm the same girl."  
"That's because you are the same girl Annabeth. Just because you changed your hair and moved me down your priority list doesn't mean you're any less amazing."  
"Thank you. You make me feel so important," I whispered.  
"That's because you are important, to me. Now let's talk about something else. How about... aquifers?"

He always knew how to make me laugh.

**I wanna be a flower, not a dirty weed  
I wanna smell like roses, not a baseball team**

"No."  
"Yes."  
"I'm not going Perseus."  
"Yes, Annabeth Chase, you are."  
"You can't make me."  
"Wanna bet?" He challenged. Before I could move, I was already slung over his shoulder kicking and screaming.  
"Let go of me!"  
"No way."

"I told you that I'm not playing capture the flag today! I have a date." I had a date with another new camper today and I wasn't about to go get all sweaty playing with the boys.  
"Who cares?"  
"I do!"  
"No you don't."  
"So, I'm still not playing." I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly.  
"Annabeth, if you keep skipping training you're going to get out of shape. You used to love capture the flag days!" Percy whined.  
"Please don't make me do this!" I sighed.  
"Please let me make you do this!" He countered.  
"Fine, but I'm only doing border patrol." I could feel his smile. I wanted more than anything to be able to go play capture the flag, but Silena said that the date she set me up for me today was really important. I couldn't just make Percy think that I wanted to be myself, because if I did then I'd eventually change back and never get over him.  
"Good," he replied, placing me back on the ground. A few hours of sword fighting later, I was exhausted and ready to pig out at the pavilion.  
"See Annabeth, wasn't that fun?" Percy asked with a grin.  
"It always is," I replied.  
"Why were you so difficult about it?" Grover chirped.  
"Well Silena set me up with this guy..." I murmured. "And after all that, I don't think I'm ready for a date," I added, gesturing to my sweaty body, smeared makeup, and ponytail of hair that had curled because of the sweat.  
"Oh please, exhaustion is mighty attractive." Conner shouted.  
"Yeah, any guy in his right mind would go on a date with you, especially when you look like that," Percy added.  
"That isn't sweat, it's glisten!" Grover chuckled. I couldn't hide my grin.  
"You can cancel your date, let's go hangout in my cabin," Percy said with a smile. "Come on boys!" He shouted, gesturing to his cabin. "And Annabeth."

**And I swear maybe one day  
You're gonna wanna make out, make out, make out with me  
Don't wanna be, don't wanna be, don't wanna be  
**

"Truth or dare, Percy?" Silena asked with a smirk, like she knew something that nobody else in the room knew.  
"Truth," he said feebly. He was smart to avoid one of Silena's dares. After an awesome game of capture the flag, we all went back to the Poseidon cabin to hangout. By chance, we ran into an eager Silena. Beckendorf gave in to her request to play truth or dare back in Percy's cabin, which leads us to my current situation.  
Half of camp was sitting in a circle on the wood floor and playing an intense game of truth or dare. So far Travis had already dared Clarisse to ask the Aphrodite girls for a makeover and Grover to pants Chiron. To refuse a dare you must remove one article of clothing and for truths it's two because refusing to tell the truth makes you a wuss in Clarisse's eyes. Due to other insane dares from the Stolls, most of the boys and had already lost their shoes and shirts. I for one had already taken off my jewelry and shoes.  
"So Percy..." Silena started. He softly nodded and stared at the floor. "Who was your first kiss?" My breath faltered. I wasn't his first kiss, was I? Judging by the look on his face and the redness slowly crawling up his neck, I figured I might be.  
"Um..." Percy mumbled. "Just this girl from school." It was obviously a lie. Seaweed Brain was never good at lying.  
"What is her name?" Silena asked. He anxiously scanned the room.  
"Er... Samantha Smith?"  
"I know your lying Percy," Silena said plainly.  
"Okay, fine. I'm lying," He admitted. "It hasn't happened yet."  
"Yes it has! Your lying and you don't want to tell us who it was!" Silena's smile couldn't get any wider. I glanced at Rachel, the oracle, out of the corner of my eye. She was anxiously biting her lip. It made me wonder if I wasn't the only girl who had kissed him since he discovered he was a demigod. Then Percy began to smile and chuckle. He pulled off both his socks and tossed them into the clothes pile. Silena scowled and glared at him.  
"I'll find out sooner or later Jackson," she growled. Who knew she could be so angry?  
"Whatever you say Silena," he replied with a grin. "Truth or dare, Grover?"  
"Dare." Grover said confidently. Percy whispered something in his ear that caused his face to frown.  
"Do I have to?" He asked.  
"Unless you want to be naked by the end of the game my friend." Grover sighed and walked over towards Clarisse. Then he sat on her.  
"What in Hades goat boy?!" She screamed pushing him off her.  
"I have to sit on you," he murmured. She glared at Percy and reluctantly let Grover sit on her lap.  
"Hey Percy," Grover chuckled. "Truth or dare?"  
"What? Why do I have to go again?" Percy whined. I chuckled with the others.  
"Because you made me sit on Clarisse." Grover said angrily. Percy rolled his eyes and replied.  
"This time I choose dare." He crossed his arms over his chest, ready for whatever Grover had in store.  
"I dare you..." Grover winked at Silena. "To tell me who your first kiss was!" Percy's mouth dropped open and his face began to turn red again.  
"This isn't fair!" He complained.  
"Yes it is!" Grover added. "I'm your best friend. I should already know about this- but I don't!"  
"Fine. My first kiss was..." He took a deep breath and let the color fade from his face. "Rachel." All eyes turned to Rachel and she started to blush.  
"When I kissed him I didn't know it was his first!" The oracle admitted, embarrassed.  
"At least I believe him this time\," Grover said. But to my disdain, Silena still didn't look satisfied. After a few more dares it was Silena's turn again and she looked menacing. She kept sending me covert glances to check out my reaction, as if she actually knew what happened last year.  
"Percy, truth or dare?" Silena asked with a rather pleased face.  
"When am I going to get a break?" He muttered. "Dare."  
"I dare you to tell me about your kiss with Rachel. When it happened, how long it was, where it was and everything else that I need to know.  
"Okay Silena, I get how it was funny when he was embarrassed to say who it was. But babe, isn't this going a little too far?" Beckendorf asked her.  
"Darling, I know what I am doing. This is very important to me!" She answered and continued to stare at Percy.  
"Okay," Percy breathed. "We were in my step-dad's Prius, just talking. Then Beckendorf came..."  
"You were there?" She screamed at her boyfriend.  
"Maybe?" He murmured.  
"We will talk about this later darling," she groaned. "Continue."  
"And I had to leave and I didn't know if I would ever see her again. So then she kissed me and Beckendorf and I left. End of story." Percy explained.  
"No, that isn't what happened." Silena screamed. "Mom told me your first kiss was special! How is kissing in a CAR in front of my BOYFRIEND any bit special?" I'd had a feeling that he was lying the entire time. I'm sure the fact that Rachel kissed him was true, but I'd kissed him first.  
And he was embarrassed to admit it. I felt dreadful inside, like every time I ever thought of him was a mistake. I tried to hide my feelings behind an impenetrable mask on the outside, so nobody knew how rejected I felt.  
As much as I wanted to leave, I couldn't. If I did Silena would know for sure that Percy was lying. I couldn't give her that satisfaction.  
"Silena just give up," Rachel groaned. "The kiss was special to me and hopefully to him too. Isn't that enough?" She asked.  
"No! I didn't want it to be with you, I wanted it to be with Annabeth!" The room went silent. I could feel everyone staring at me, almost apologetically that I'd been pulled into this.  
"I'm leaving." I announced, grabbing my clothes out of the pile and heading towards the cabin door.  
"Sorry, Annabeth." Silena added before I left. In reality, she had nothing to be sorry about.  
She was right, his first kiss was special- at least it was to me.

**'Cause I don't wanna be one of the boys, one of the guys  
Just give me a chance to prove to you tonight  
That I just wanna be one of the girls  
Pretty with curls and not one of the boys**

The water was calm today. I sat upon the sand and looked out into the darkness. I'd skipped dinner and decided to spend the last few hours before curfew watching the waves. It was peaceful, calm, and exactly what I needed. Percy had been avoiding me lately and I wasn't in any mood to approach him myself. All my friends had distanced themselves, obviously hoping I could fix this mess alone.  
I'd done everything I could to make him like me. But somehow, even changing myself entirely still wasn't enough. I knew it was always too good to be true. He was my best friend and even if I can't have him as a boyfriend I still miss him.  
A few tears slipped down my cheeks, falling into the ocean beneath me. When had I become such a softy? Crying was never my forte. I wiped my cheeks with the back of my palm and continued to stare at the night sky. I hated myself, what I had become. I just wanted to swim out into the water and never come back.  
But even I knew that nothing was that easy.  
"Annabeth?"  
I turned around even though I already knew who it was.  
"Wise Girl, I need to talk to talk to you." I nodded and turned back to the water.  
"What? What do you have to say to me that would make a difference?" I asked.  
"I'm sorry for avoiding you lately. I've just been so confused," he admitted.  
"Confused about what?"  
"What I should do next. And I've figured that if I can't have the best, then why not settle for second?" If he was going with this where I thought he was going, I wasn't going to be his second best. But then he said something that surprised me. "Let's be best friends Annabeth, better than we ever were before."  
"I don't understand," I murmured.  
"Can you just tell me why you changed then I'll explain." I took a deep breath and decided I wasn't going to lie to him.  
"I changed because I was tired of being one of the boys. I wanted to feel like a girl for once and have other people think of me that way," I admitted. "It's almost curfew, I better head back to my cabin." I stood up from my spot on the ground and began to head towards my cabin.  
"Wait Annabeth!" I ignored him. "Please just- I have something I need to tell you."  
"Then just say it okay? I really am not in the mood to talk to you right now." I sounded so harsh, and I didn't mean to be cross. But, he was getting on my nerves. I continued my track back to my cabin, farther from him with every step.  
"I love you." My heart dropped, probably to somewhere in my stomach. I stopped walking but didn't turn around. "I love you so much." I could hear him getting closer, following me. "And I just didn't know how to tell you. I know you don't feel that way about me but I thought that you deserved to know." Finally, I turned around. Only centimeters separated us, leaving me to wonder how he approached me so fast.  
His hand brushed back a few stray hairs that had been hanging in my eyes. Nobody talked because there really wasn't anything to say. I could see him leaning in and me following in suit. He was going to kiss me, I decided. That was before I ruined it.  
"Percy." I breathed. It frightened me how fast he backed away, too far for my liking.  
"I'm sorry-" I interrupted him.  
"I can't believe that you would ever think that I didn't feel the same way," I grabbed either side of his face and leaned back in to kiss him. That was when the horn signaling curfew was blown causing me to lose concentration.  
"That was pretty stupid of Chiron. Look at him, ruining what was going to be the best moment of my life up to date." I laughed at his remark and spun on my heel.  
"I guess we will just have to postpone that moment for a few more years. Goodnight Seaweed Brain." I jogged off towards my cabin, knowing that he would follow me. I smiled when I heard him running after me.  
"You're just kidding, right?" He shouted. "Right?"  
I felt arms wrap around me from behind and lift me up into the air. I couldn't stop the giggles that slipped from my mouth.  
"Hey!" I scolded. "Put me down you Seaweed Brain!"  
"Not until you ask nicely." I kicked him square in the knee with the back of my shoe. Unfortunately, he collapsed causing me to fall on top of him.  
"You have terrible coordination," I commented, flipping myself over to face him.  
"And you have the prettiest hair." He said, wrapping his finger around one of the curly strands that was hanging in my face. My face flushed scarlet at the compliment. Percy gently tucked the strand behind my ear and kept his hand on my cheek. It could still see his face pretty clearly even though it was dark outside.  
"I don't know what to say," I whispered rather stupidly.  
"Then don't say anything," he replied, placing his other hand on the back of my head guiding me closer.  
You already know what happens next but I'll explain anyway.  
He kissed me; I kissed him- who knows what happened first. As quickly as it happened, it ended. It was every bit of what I had imagined and left us both with goofy smiles a few seconds later. I looked into his emerald eyes and leaned down towards him once more, guiding his face to mine with my hands. This time it lasted longer than just a second. It was less meaningful this time and much more spontaneous. Our lips moved in sync, over and over until we both had run out of breath.  
"Woah," he whispered as we drifted apart. I felt the same sensation and it left me speechless. We looked at each other, almost evaluating what just happened. "Uh..."  
"Yeah," I managed to say. I lifted myself off him and stood back on my feet. I lamely waved my hand goodbye towards him and jogged the remaining distance to my cabin.  
"Hey Annabeth?" Percy shouted and I spun around expectantly.  
"Yeah Seaweed Brain?" I replied.  
"See you tomorrow, Wise Girl," he said with a smile, waving his arms in the air with a goofy smile on his face. I grinned and entered my cabin and plopped down onto my bed.  
Maybe it wasn't so bad being one of the boys.  
I could work with this.

* * *

My first ever Percabeth happy ending. Hope this was a good Christmas present!

-AE


End file.
